April
23,
2004
Conference
Highlights Newly Discovered Confucian Texts
While
generations of scholars have puzzled over mysteries surrounding
the evolution of Confucian philosophy, the landscape of Confucian
studies has shifted dramatically in the past several years.
Recently excavated Confucian texts inscribed on bamboo slips
at archaeological sites in China are providing scholars with
answers to questions that have long eluded them.
Mount Holyoke will host an important sinological conference April 23--25
titled "Confucianism Resurrected," at which eminent scholars from
China, Japan, Europe, and the U.S. will analyze and discuss the newly discovered
texts.
According to Calvin Chen, Luce Assistant Professor of Politics and one of the
conference organizers, archaeologists found the bamboo slips over the past decade
and more, but it has taken time and considerable scholarly effort to clean them,
piece them together, put them in order, and transcribe them into modern Chinese.
Mount Holyoke's is one of the first international conferences dealing with
this new material. "These texts fill in gaps and answer questions of how
Confucian moral and political philosophy changed," Chen said. "They
provide some of the missing links."
The College's Asian studies program, the Luce and Freeman Foundations,
and the dean of the faculty's office are cosponsoring the conference. Wen
Xing, who taught in the Asian studies program here last year, and Jonathan Lipman,
professor of history and chair of Asian studies, are organizing the event with
Professor Chen.
The conference will take place in Willits-Hallowell; panel discussions will be
held April 24 and 25 and are open to the public.
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